Health officials in Mississippi have declared a public emergency over the state's rising infant mortality rate, which is the highest it's been in a decade. Data from 2024 show that for every 1,000 infant births in the state, there were 9.7 deaths within the first year of life—up from 8.9 in 2023.

密西西比州卫生官员因该州婴儿死亡率不断上升宣布进入公共卫生紧急状态， 目前婴儿死亡率已达十年来的最高水平。 2024年的数据显示，该州每1000名婴儿出生中，就有9.7名在出生后第一年内死亡，这一数字高于2023年的8.9。



"Every single infant loss represents a family devastated, a community impacted and a future cut short," said state health officer Dr. Dan Edney in a statement declaring the public health emergency, which allows the state to mobilize resources more quickly than it otherwise would have.

州卫生官员丹·埃德尼博士在宣布公共卫生紧急状态的声明中表示：“每一个婴儿的夭折，都意味着一个家庭的破碎、一个社区的受创，以及一个未来的戛然而止。” 这一紧急状态声明使该州能够比以往更快地调配资源。

According to state data, 3,527 babies have died in Mississippi before age 1 since 2014. The state saw a particularly high increase in neonatal deaths, which occur during the first month of life, and a very high overall infant mortality rate for Black families: 15.2 per 1,000 live births, compared to 5.8 per 1,000 live births in white families.

根据州数据，自2014年以来，密西西比州已有3527名婴儿在未满一岁时死亡。 该州新生儿死亡率（即出生后第一个月内的死亡率）尤其高， 且黑人家庭的婴儿总体死亡率非常高：每1000例活产中有15.2例死亡， 而白人家庭则为每1000例活产中有5.8例死亡。

Poor outcomes for both mothers and babies are not new for Mississippi, which received an "F" on a 2024 March of Dimes report card that ranked maternal and infant health by state. Mississippi had the highest infant mortality rates in the country in 2024, according to the report card, and the highest rates of preterm births, when a baby is born before 38 weeks of pregnancy. (Being born preterm is associated with an increased risk for many short-term and long-term health conditions.) Some of the contributing factors to these bad outcomes include poor physical health of mothers and subpar access to care for both moms and babies.

对于密西西比州而言，母婴健康状况不佳并非新问题。 在2024年美国“出生缺陷基金会”发布的按州排名评估母婴健康的报告中，该州获得了“F”级评分。 据该报告，2024年密西西比州的婴儿死亡率位居全国首位，早产率（即怀孕不足38周即出生）也最高。 （早产与许多短期和长期健康状况风险的增加有关。）导致这些不良结果的一些因素包括母亲身体健康状况不佳，以及母婴获得护理的机会不足。

"Mississippi has historically ranked low when it comes to these birth outcomes," says Dr. Michael Warren, chief medical and health officer for the March of Dimes, in an interview with TIME. "But they're not alone."

美国“出生缺陷基金会”首席医疗与健康官员迈克尔·沃伦博士在接受《时代》杂志采访时表示： “密西西比州在这些出生结果方面的排名一直较低， 但并非只有它如此。”

Between 2023 and 2024, infant mortality rates worsened in 24 states, including Arkansas and Louisiana, Warren says. "This is reflective of a large trend."

沃伦称，2023年至2024年间，包括阿肯色州和路易斯安那州在内的24个州的婴儿死亡率有所恶化。 “这反映了一个大趋势。”

These states had already been struggling with maternal and infant heath, but outside factors are likely worsening these outcomes. Many rural counties have lost ob-gyns or hospital maternity services in recent years, so women have to travel further for prenatal and maternity care. More than half of counties in Mississippi and one-third of counties in the U.S. are considered maternity-care deserts, which means they have no hospitals providing obstetric care, no ob-gyns, and no certified nurse midwives.

这些州原本就在母婴健康方面苦苦挣扎，但外部因素可能使情况进一步恶化。 近年来，许多农村县失去了妇产科医生或医院产科服务， 因此女性必须前往更远的地方接受产前和孕产期护理。 密西西比州超过一半的县和美国三分之一的县被视为孕产期护理荒漠，这意味着这些地区没有提供产科护理的医院、妇产科医生，也没有认证助产士。

In Mississippi and in the South, ob-gyns are leaving because of low Medicaid and private insurance compensation rates that make it difficult to keep a practice open. Practices that remain open are often short-staffed, and providers sometimes burn out after being on a 24/7 call schedule. As a result, women having emergencies during childbirth may not be able to get to a doctor in time.

在密西西比州和南部， 由于医疗补助计划和私人保险的补偿率较低，妇产科医生纷纷离开，这使得维持诊所运营变得困难。 仍在运营的诊所往往人手不足，医疗人员有时会因全天候待命而精疲力竭。 因此，分娩时出现紧急情况的女性可能无法及时得到医生的救治。

Mississippi and many other states in the South have also not expanded Medicaid, meaning women may be going into pregnancy less healthy than they would if they had more access to health care. If women do not have health insurance, they may not be visiting a doctor regularly to control chronic conditions like obesity or diabetes. One of the big factors leading to more infant deaths, Warren says, is that many are born premature, and much of prematurity is driven by a mom's health before she even becomes pregnant.

密西西比州和美国南部的许多州也未扩大医疗补助计划覆盖范围， 这意味着当地女性在怀孕前的健康状况本可通过更全面的医疗服务得到改善。 如果女性没有健康保险，她们可能不会定期去看医生以控制肥胖或糖尿病等慢性疾病。 沃伦表示，导致更多婴儿死亡的一个主要因素是许多婴儿早产， 而早产在很大程度上是由母亲在怀孕前的健康状况决定的。

"Taking care of those chronic diseases before pregnancy matters," Warren says, "so that when a person chooses to become pregnant, they're in an optimal state of health, and they're going to have the best chance of a good outcome for them and the baby."

沃伦说：“在怀孕前照顾好这些慢性疾病很重要，这样当一个人选择怀孕时， 他们就能处于最佳的健康状态，为自己和宝宝争取最好的结果。”

In the public-health emergency announcement, Mississippi says that it is planning to cut down on the number of ob-gyn deserts by increasing prenatal care opportunities in certain counties. It also plans to expand a community health worker program to connect moms and babies to care near their homes.

在宣布公共卫生紧急状态的公告中， 密西西比州表示计划通过在某些县增加产前护理机会来减少妇产科医生荒漠现象。 该州还计划扩大社区健康工作者计划，以便为母婴提供就近的护理服务。

"Mississippi has the knowledge, the resources and the resilience to change this story," said Edney, the state health officer, in a statement. "It will take all of us—policymakers, healthcare providers, communities and families—working together to give every child the chance to live, thrive and celebrate their first birthday."

州卫生官员埃德尼在声明中表示：“密西西比州拥有改变这一现状的知识、资源和韧性。 这需要我们所有人——政策制定者、医疗服务提供者、社区和家庭——共同努力，让每个孩子都有机会生存、成长并庆祝他们的第一个生日。”

素材来源：iYuba